u get off for free sippin? I have some connections at the courses mentioned above and would be willing to trade free rounds if you can get it....you invite me out for free and I invite you along with my buddies

I'm 25

If anyone hasn't played it yet, Gold Canyon Dinosaur course is >>>>>>>>>> than any other course I've played in the valley, including Troon, TPC Stadium, etc. It's a long drive but well worth it. Check golfnow.com for good rates, we were able to play for $60 in the summer and you can still find rates in the $80 range. Long drive out to Apache Junction (obv depending on where you are...it was a solid 30 min from Old Town Scottsdale where I am) but well worth it.

I'll have to ask I'm not even sure if I get a guest rate or anything but I'll find out and get back to you.

Gold Canyon is definitely a must play regardless of location. I still prefer either course at We-Ko-Pa, but it's a good value and holds its own against the Scottsdale courses. It also probably has the best collection of par-3s on any course in the state, three of them with huge elevation drops and great views.

Quintero if you can get on out there has some of the most ridiculous collection of elevated and fun par 3's I've ever played.

Side Note: Almost all of the courses are in pretty good shape right now because we are finally out of our overseeding months. They usually let the grass grow a little long coming out of the reseeding, but you should be good to go anywhere you play.

I played Orange Tree and Kierland last week and both were in good shape. Kierland is obviously way better but is $160/person versus probably like $45-50 bucks a player at Orange Tree

Oh FML, how could I forget Quintero? Only candidate I can think of that I've played to rival Gold Canyon. Three extremely elevated par-3s and the fourth one, while flat, is still a good hole. Funny thing, they are both technically in Phoenix but could not be farther from each other, one in the extreme SE part of town, the other in the extreme NW part. Must be a 90 minute drive between the two.

Because of its location and unfortunate time of development Quintero is probably a great value these days. Not cheap but still an incredible course.

I played it in the summer time at 7 AM for $25. We were the only people on the course.

I received an email from Sanctuary for unlimited golf for $49 until 12-25-09.


Nice course for $49.

It's OK but let's not overhype it. It's mostly set in a waste area that is otherwise inhospitable because of power lines. It's punitively narrow and has some Mickey Mouse holes. I suspect the reason that it was mentioned in the top post along with Sunridge is that both are managed by SunCor and he probably got some sort of deal to play both. But it is a pretty good golf course management company and the course is always in nice shape. For $49 it's worth it regardless.

(Several years ago on the shortest day of the year daylight wise, December 20 or 21, a friend of mine and I squeezed in 54 holes at Sanctuary. 18 with two other guys and then after lunch he and I went back out, jumping all over the place and playing some holes no more than twice and some 4-5 times. We ended up hitting both the first shot and the last shot on the course that day. The staff was very accommodating of our spaziness.)

How do u get on a private course for cheap Tuq? Quintero looks like it requires a membership

We should probably get a 2+2 Phoenix Golf Outing going sometime

I'm pretty sure Quintero is still semi-private. They are private in name and concept but starving for members - the economy and their inability to build and sell homes right now is no doubt the main culprit but the fact that they are so far out in the middle of nowhere contributes to that - but I think they will allow people on year round. I didn't mean it is "cheap" to play there but it is good value for what you get, which is a generally amazing golf course.

Having said that, our hookup over the years has been a friend who had a connection so we were usually just a phone call away. But at basically an hour drive each way we usually stick to something closer.

Anybody played Superstition Mountain Lost Gold or Prospector courses?
Worth the fees?

Depends on what the fees are.

Played there probably dozen or more times, about the same amount on each course. Layout wise it isn't nearly as interesting as its neighbor Gold Canyon but at least when it was private it was in absolutely immaculate condition no matter what time of year. Not sure which I prefer, the consensus is that Prospector is quite a bit easier though, mostly because of wider fairways and less punitive bunkers. Prospector is also the one where the LPGA event has been held for years and prior to that one of the Sr. majors.

An added bonus is that they have a very nice clubhouse facility with a great locker room that has sauna/hot tub etc. as well as a full bar and a dark room with couches and a big flat screen TV. Not sure if they're limiting some of the access to members only or otherwise dumbing them down.

$80-$100 after 1pm

A little bit of a brag....going to play Seven Canyons in Sedona this weekend (http://www.sevencanyons.com)

My buddy is a member and owns part of a villa there and it's AMAZING. Barely anyone out there and you are basically playing golf in the middle of an IMAX theater. The course is only 6800 yards, but it's fairly narrow and greens rolling about a 12 this time of the year (no joke). I feel like I'm putting on Augusta greens everytime because what I think is usually a solid putt usually trickles 6-8 feet by.